Tuesday, September 18, 2007

... " The three conditions for prayer about which I wrote to you nourish the soul in the spiritual life. It is particularly important to leave your own little will behind. Certainly this is not easy, but it is a powerful antidote to demonic pride. Pride has a way of insisting on its own way in conversation in order to keep the upper hand; it cannot bend to another's view but stubbornly persists in its own opinions.

The Holy Fathers themselves took this path and they left us these guidelines. Only on these terms can a man acquire inner peace of soul and have peace everywhere, no matter where he lives.

and

The Holy Fathers even compare obedience to martyrdom. Abba Dorotheos writes very well about this. I advise you to read the book.

In general our little will is very dear to us. And suddenly we have to leave it and do the will of someone else. It is very difficult to yield to another. Only great souls are able to, but weak ones insist on their own.

And take one more rule for yourself: when you are upset, make no decisions. This is the advice of the Holy Fathers.

And another wofd about pride: a proud person sees only the best in himself and only the worst in others, while a humble person sees his own sins but sees good qualities in others. "